Creating Your Own Nature Reserve

Although your garden feeding station is likely to be the focus of the bird activity in your garden, there are other things going on too; Song Thrushes may be smashing snails, there could be Bullfinches in the honeysuckle and Great Tits working along window sills on the search for spiders. As dusk falls, check to see who is using your roosting pouches and see if you can spot where bigger birds such as Blackbirds spend the night. They will probably be in thick undergrowth, possibly in the shelter of the house. If you have a nest box with an infra-red camera, switch it on and see whether a single Blue Tit or a heap of Wrens are making use of the warm, dry shelter.

Water adds an extra dimension to your 'garden nature reserve', whether in the form of a pond or a simple bird bath. When you fill your bird feeders, try to remember to check out your bird bath too; top it up with fresh water and give it a good clean out as often as you can. Think about buying a second bird bath, so that one can be cleaned and left to dry whilst the other one is being used.